Toowoomba police urge revellers to behave or risk a Christmas in the watch house

With no court sitting on Saturday morning, those locked up on Christmas Eve might spend the weekend in the watch house.

Toowoomba’s Christmas Eve revellers are being urged by police to behave or risk spending the festive weekend in the watch house.

Christmas Eve revellers across Toowoomba and the Darling Downs are warned not to overdo the celebrations or they might risk missing Christmas altogether.

Revellers who get arrested and taken to the watch house on Christmas Eve might remain there until the Toowoomba Magistrates Court sits on Monday morning for any bail applications.

Sergeant Tony Rehn of Toowoomba Police Crime Prevention Unit said it would be better advised if people didn’t put themselves in that potential scenario and behaved themselves on Friday night.

“We have crews on the beat anyway, but because it’s Christmas Eve we will definitely be in the CBD,” he said.

“We don’t want people drinking too much and getting themselves into a pickle.

“And, please don’t get into a car to drive if you’ve been drinking.

“Take a taxi or Uber by all means, but we still have too many people drink-driving and well above the limit too.

CELEBRATE SAFELY: Sgt Tony Rehn is urging Christmas Eve revellers to behave or risk spending much of the festive weekend in the watch house. Photo Nev Madsen

“A lot of people celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve so Friday night will be significant with people racing around, but we ask people to be sensible.”

Sgt Rehn asked people intending to go out on the town to plan their night ahead of time and how they were going to get home safely.

“It might be Christmas, but we will not tolerate stupid behaviour,” he said.

Ordinarily, the Magistrates Court sits on Saturday morning should there be people arrested on Friday night and fail to get watch house bail and so are in custody seeking bail.

However, because Christmas falls on Saturday, the Magistrates Court will not be sitting, so anyone who doesn’t get watch house bail on Friday and is remanded in the custody of the watch house will remain there for the weekend until at least Monday morning, thus missing Christmas and Boxing Day celebrations.

Entrance to the Toowoomba watch house at the Hume Street police station.

And, a Toowoomba watch house staffer told The Chronicle that though “guests” of the Toowoomba police station cells this weekend would be provided with Christmas lunch and dinner, the food on offer would be a far cry from the traditional tiger prawns, Moreton Bay bug and turkey.

“They usually get something from Red Rooster but on Christmas Day with most places closed they might end up with whatever we can rummage up,” she said.